Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 144

Abel hurried over.

Choi Hyun-seok was bleeding, buried in the rubble of the collapsed building.

“Are you okay!?”

“Abel…”

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes trembled.

His face was swollen, and it was clear at a glance that his injuries were severe.

Despite the obvious pain, Choi Hyun-seok still smiled.

“This is nothing.”
“Just stay still. I’ll heal you.”
“There’s no time for that…”
“It’ll only take a moment. Bobo will buy us time.”

Abel began to cast a healing spell.

Choi Hyun-seok’s body was different from that of a normal human due to mana, but she was already familiar with it through multiple experiences.

She skillfully continued the healing.

In less than 30 seconds, Choi Hyun-seok’s swelling quickly subsided.

“Thank you. This is enough.”

“I’ll help too.”

“Pardon?”

Choi Hyun-seok looked surprised at her words.

“Are you saying you’ll participate in the battle, Abel?”
“Yes. Using divine power will help, even if just a little.”
“There’s no need to push yourself. You look worse than I do.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

Abel’s face was pale, and she was sweating profusely.

It was clear that her condition wasn’t good due to the continuous fighting.

Frankly, it was questionable whether she could even fight, regardless of whether she would be helpful.

However, Abel’s will was firm.

“This isn’t the time to be picky.”

“Understood.”

Choi Hyun-seok reluctantly nodded.

Meeting Abel’s gaze, he sensed that she wouldn’t give up.

“I’ll go back.”

In that short time, Bobo’s body had gained many wounds.

It was dangerous to delay any longer.

Choi Hyun-seok ran to rejoin the battle.

Abel also cautiously followed behind him.

‘I mustn’t get too close.’

Abel hadn’t offered to help without thinking.

She clearly knew her limits.

Approaching recklessly to help would likely only hinder the battle.

So, she planned to support from a distance with ranged magic.

‘I’ll burn away the mana with divine power from afar.’

Regardless of what he was in the past, Lopar Dozer was now undead.

Made of mana, he would surely be vulnerable to divine power.

Woong…!

Abel gathered divine power.

She had never learned offensive magic, but she was able to mimic it instinctively.

Tuwoong!

The rapidly flying mass of divine power struck Lopar Dozer.

The monster’s bones began to burn and corrode simultaneously.

‘It’s effective!’

Once the next Saintess [a woman of great holiness], she was one of the best on the continent when it came to handling divine power.

Even though it was just imitation magic, it could deliver a significant blow to an enemy with mana.

‘If I keep this up…!’

Abel continued to fire divine power.

Her body was already at its limit, but as she said, this wasn’t the time to be picky.

‘Even if I die here… Choi Hyun-seok must live.’

For the future.

To save humanity, Choi Hyun-seok was more important than herself.

She truly believed that.

Tuwoong, tuwoong, tuwoong!

Masses of divine power flew in succession.

However, the attacks no longer hit the enemy as they had at first.

Having already experienced the danger of divine power, Lopar Dozer was on high alert.

He skillfully dodged the incoming masses of divine power while fighting.

Abel realized that this method had its limits.

‘I need something faster and stronger.’

She gathered divine power once more.

She felt a churning sensation inside as she forced herself to use divine power.

Blood flowed from her mouth due to internal injuries.

Abel didn’t stop and continued to gather divine power.

‘I’m betting everything on this.’

The gathered divine power was finally fired into the sky.

The mass of divine power that had soared into the air suddenly plummeted towards the ground at tremendous speed.

It looked like a bolt of lightning.

Kwagagaga!

Abel clenched her fist tightly.

The strike landed accurately.

This time, Lopar Dozer wouldn’t be unscathed.

That’s what she thought, but she was mistaken.

Swish!

Lopar Dozer swung his spear and cut through the divine power.

The lightning that was falling to the ground split apart in vain.

The final attack had failed.

But there was no time to despair.

Lopar Dozer, who had approached unnoticed, was swinging his spear.

“Oh no…!”

It was incredibly fast.

Abel couldn’t even perceive the approaching movement.

She instinctively stretched out her arm and deployed a barrier.

Clang!

The barrier shattered upon colliding with the spear.

Abel, sent flying by the impact, lost consciousness.

***

Choi Hyun-seok bit his lip.

‘There’s no way out.’

He had used everything he could.

Yet, he couldn’t defeat Lopar Dozer.

‘His regeneration speed is just too much!’

Even when an attack occasionally succeeded, Lopar Dozer instantly restored his bones.

It seemed impossible to defeat him unless he shattered his skull in one blow.

‘Abel is unconscious… and Bobo is losing stamina.’

Thanks to Abel’s desperate fight, the tide of the battle seemed to turn for a moment, but it was only fleeting.

Lopar Dozer blew Abel away and then healed his wounds again.

Choi Hyun-seok felt a sense of hopelessness.

He saw no breakthrough.

‘Since it’s come to this, I have no choice.’

In the end, he decided to use his last resort.

“Hoo… I really didn’t want to do this.”

Mana began to surge from his body.

Mana raced through and stimulated every corner of his body.

A pain like needles piercing his entire body followed.

His heart rate accelerated, and his skin flushed red.

Choi Hyun-seok stared at Lopar Dozer with bloodshot eyes.

Phlomote Stage 1 – Blooming

He had fully entered Phlomote Stage 1 Blooming.

Choi Hyun-seok didn’t stop.

‘Stage 1 isn’t nearly enough.’

He activated mana even more strongly and rapidly.

His skin, which had been flushing red, soon turned blood-red, and hot steam began to rise from his body.

Phlomote Stage 2 – Full Bloom

The flower of death bloomed fully.

He felt an immense power surging from his body.

‘Here I go.’

Choi Hyun-seok kicked off the ground.

The floor distorted as his body shot out like light.

He threw a punch at Lopar Dozer, who was rapidly approaching.

Whoosh-!

The punch cut through the air, creating a sonic boom.

Lopar Dozer raised his spear to block the attack.

Normally, a counterattack would have come immediately, but this time it was different.

Perhaps because of the great impact, Lopar Dozer retreated to regain his balance.

Choi Hyun-seok continued his offensive.

Tuwoong, crack! Bang!

Choi Hyun-seok and Lopar Dozer exchanged blows at tremendous speed.

Lopar Dozer’s spear tore through skin.

Choi Hyun-seok’s fist broke bones.

After exchanging dozens of blows in a matter of seconds, the two retreated simultaneously as if they had made a promise.

“Haa, haa…!”

Choi Hyun-seok gasped for breath.

He had poured everything out in a short time, and his breath was coming up to his throat.

He glared at Lopar Dozer with a look of dismay.

‘Even this isn’t enough…?’

Even though he used Phlomote Stage 2, he couldn’t overwhelm him.

No, far from overwhelming him, he was being pushed back.

‘That guy. He can’t use aura [a manifestation of one’s inner energy], but his combat skills are the best I’ve ever encountered.’

The reason Choi Hyun-seok had been able to defeat stronger enemies so far was because of his pure fighting skills and senses.

He covered his inferior physical specs with his excellent combat sense.

But he couldn’t do that against Lopar Dozer.

Not only did the monster have superior physical specs, but his combat skills were also not inferior.

Although he used a spear, it felt like he was on a similar level to Raidrun.

‘Haa, and this isn’t even his complete state, and he’s going to get stronger and stronger. Is he even human?’

The current Lopar Dozer wasn’t showing his full strength from his past life.

Because mana had replaced magic power, he couldn’t use proper aura.

Even the absolute amount of mana was less than when he was alive.

His physical specs and combat sense were probably lower as well.

And yet, this was the difference.

Choi Hyun-seok could feel how absurdly strong the existence called a legend was.

‘This isn’t the time to be impressed. It’ll be disadvantageous if I drag this out. I have to finish this somehow.’

Lopar Dozer would only get stronger as time passed.

On the other hand, Choi Hyun-seok was temporarily doped [enhanced by external substances].

When the usage time of Phlomote ended, severe side effects would come, and he would no longer be able to continue the battle.

He had to deal with him before that happened.

‘I can do it. No, I have to!’

Choi Hyun-seok activated mana once more.

He was going to use the final Stage 3 of Phlomote.

‘My proficiency with Phlomote has improved much more than in the past. I should be able to use it stably enough.’

Previously, while receiving treatment from Rotark, Choi Hyun-seok trained Phlomote every day.

At that time, he had no worries about dying, so he used Stage 3 without hesitation.

Normally, training such an aura would be nearly impossible, but the situational conditions were right.

Thanks to that, Phlomote’s proficiency had greatly increased.

Choi Hyun-seok believed in his experience and ability and unleashed the final Stage 3.

Phlomote Stage 3 – Fallen Flower

His skin turned completely black.

The horns on his head grew even larger, drawing bizarre patterns.

His snow-white eyes, contrasting with his black skin, gleamed as he stared at Lopar Dozer.

Lopar Dozer was also looking at Choi Hyun-seok.

-Kill… destroy the demons…

The blue ghost fire shining in Lopar Dozer’s eye sockets burned even brighter.

He mistook Choi Hyun-seok, who had fully unleashed Phlomote, for a demon.

Even in his irrational state, his animosity towards demons remained.

-Destroy… the demons…!

Lopar Dozer kicked off the ground.

Choi Hyun-seok also ran towards him.

‘1 minute. I’ll end it within that time.’

Pain accompanied the fading of his mind.

No matter how much his proficiency had increased, it was impossible to last long.

Perhaps Phlomote would end in less than a minute.

Choi Hyun-seok had to bet everything.

-Destroy the demons!

“Aaaaaaah!”

Lopar Dozer and Choi Hyun-seok collided.

Kwaaaang!

The first strike.

A roar that couldn’t be compared to the past echoed.

Choi Hyun-seok took a step forward, and Lopar Dozer took three steps back.

The difference in power was clear.

“Kkeuaaaa!”

Choi Hyun-seok’s leg flew out like a shot.

Lopar Dozer hurriedly raised his arm to block it.

Crack!

The humerus [bone from shoulder to elbow] that blocked the leg cracked, but it quickly reattached.

Choi Hyun-seok relentlessly pressed on.

‘Skull! I have to break his skull!’

Breaking other bones would only result in them being quickly restored.

There would be a limit to the monster’s recovery power, but Choi Hyun-seok didn’t have time.

So, he had to break his skull as quickly as possible and finish him off.

“Just die already!!!”

Fists and feet flew madly.

Lopar Dozer could only retreat, barely managing to block instead of counterattacking.

Pagagagak!

Bones shattered, and debris scattered.

Lopar Dozer continued to restore his bones, but the speed at which they were being destroyed was faster.

“Uaaaaaa!”

How many attacks had he unleashed?

Finally, the monster’s guard went down.

Both arms were completely broken.

All that remained was the skull.

There was nothing blocking him anymore.

Choi Hyun-seok stretched out his fist with all his might.

It was the final blow.

‘Ah…?’

In an instant, he felt the strength drain from his body.

His legs faltered, and the fist he stretched out was pathetic.

Thud-

The fist collided with the skull, but nothing happened.

Choi Hyun-seok collapsed to the ground.

At the last moment, the usage time of Phlomote had ended.

‘Damn it… 1 second. If only I had 1 more second…’

He felt wronged and resentful.

He couldn’t believe that everything he had endured so far was ending like this.

‘Please… just one more time…’

Regardless of Choi Hyun-seok’s desperate heart, his consciousness gradually faded.

***

Fortunately, Abel regained consciousness quickly.

The scene that greeted her when she reopened her eyes was Choi Hyun-seok driving back the enemy.

Blackened skin and strangely large horns.

She knew what state that was.

‘Phlomote Stage 3.’

When the hunting dogs of the Holy Empire attacked the Black Star Fortress before.

Choi Hyun-seok had used that technique to protect her then as well.

‘Please…’

Abel prayed.

The fact that Choi Hyun-seok had used that technique meant that he had been driven to the very last resort.

If they lost here, there would be no hope.

‘Did he win…?’

Joy filled Abel’s face for a moment.

Finally, Lopar Dozer’s arms had been destroyed.

‘It’s over.’

Just before Choi Hyun-seok’s fist reached the monster’s skull.

Thump-

Suddenly, Choi Hyun-seok collapsed.

Abel couldn’t say anything.

She just opened her mouth and screamed silently.

‘No… no…!’

At this rate, Choi Hyun-seok would be killed by Lopar Dozer.

No, if he didn’t receive treatment immediately, he would surely die even if Lopar Dozer didn’t step in.

That couldn’t happen.

She had to save Choi Hyun-seok.

She had to somehow defeat Lopar Dozer and heal him.

‘Please…’

Abel picked up her mace with trembling arms.

Then, she prayed to God.

To help her just once.

She ran forward.

‘Please…!’

She squeezed out the last bit of divine power she had left.

Her body ached as if it were breaking, and blood continued to gush up.

Nevertheless, she didn’t stop gathering divine power.

“Please! Help me!”

At that moment when Abel shouted.

Thud-

She tripped over a rock on the ground.

‘Ah…?’

For a moment, she felt as if time had slowed down.

Lopar Dozer approaching Choi Hyun-seok.

The surroundings filled with undead debris.

The ground gradually approaching.

Everything felt vivid.

‘Is this… the end?’

To fail to deliver the final blow just because she tripped over a rock.

It was so absurd that she couldn’t help but laugh.

She even thought that she was being punished by God for only calling out to him when she needed him.

‘Ahhh… no…!’

Lopar Dozer was raising his leg.

It seemed he was planning to stomp on Choi Hyun-seok and finish him off.

“No…”

In an instant, light flashed in Abel’s eyes.

An unknown power surged from her body.

“I won’t let you!”

Cheeeeeek!

Abel, who was falling, forcibly regained her balance while sliding.

At the same time, she threw the mace she was holding with all her might.

Whooooong-!

The mace filled with divine power flew at a terrifying speed.

The streak of light cutting through the air was heading straight for Lopar Dozer’s skull.

-That is…

Lopar Dozer turned his head and looked at the mace.

Without arms, he had no means to block the attack, but it was okay.

His legs were still intact.

He could move his body enough to dodge.

At that moment.

Thud-

A light impact occurred from behind.

Bobo, who had approached unnoticed, had pushed him in the back.

“Kwang!”

Bobo wore a satisfied smile.

Lopar Dozer, who had lost his balance, staggered.

Soon after…

Swaaaaaaek- crack-!

The mace that flew like light struck the skull.